Kenya’s President William Ruto has been recognised by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) as the Global Champion of Adequate Housing for All, a distinction that highlights the country’s leadership in tackling the global housing crisis.

The award was announced on Wednesday, September 24, during a High-Level Roundtable on Adequate and Affordable Housing at the 80th UN General Assembly in New York.

The accolade comes amid Kenya’s efforts to expand affordable housing through its flagship Affordable Housing Programme, which targets 200,000 housing units annually. Nearly 170,000 units are currently under construction, generating around 320,000 jobs, with employment expected to reach 650,000 as projects scale up. The programme combines public land allocations, tax incentives to lower construction costs, and financing support via the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company, aiming to make home ownership accessible for low- and middle-income earners.

At the roundtable, which brought together 25 countries, development partners, local banks, and UN officials, Ruto proposed a Coalition of Global Housing Champions. The platform would unite leaders advocating for transformative housing policies, embed housing in national development strategies, and link it to Sustainable Development Goals, climate resilience, and social equity. He stressed that housing should be treated as a central pillar of economic progress and human dignity.

Ruto called for scaled-up and predictable financing, stronger UN-Habitat support, and innovative financing models to meet the scale of global housing needs. He also urged governments to form coalitions of cities, private investors, and communities to turn housing aspirations into reality, citing UN initiatives such as Resolution 2/2 on informal settlements and the “Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor” programme, co-led by Kenya and Brazil.

“Our success will not be measured by the pledges we make, but by the communities we uplift, the roofs we raise, and the dignity we restore,” Ruto said. Several leaders at the event praised Kenya’s approach, with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama noting that Kenya’s financing strategies had inspired similar initiatives in his country.